Universal coupling for converters.



. PATENTED NOV. 3, 1903. T. H. TRACY.

UNIVERSAL COUPLING FOR CONVERTERS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 26, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

PATENTED NOV. s, 1903 ,T. H. TRACY. UNIVERSAL COUPLING FOR CONVERTERS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 26, 1903.

2 SHEETSMSHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

, UNITED STATES Patented November 3, 1903;

PATENT OFFICE- UNIVERSAL COUPLING FOR C ONVEi R TERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 743,406, datedNovember 3, 1903.

Application filed January 26, 1903. Serial No. 140.668-

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THERON H. TRACY, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing in the city and county of Denver and State ofColorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in UniversalCouplings for Converters; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

My invention relates to a universal coupling and blast-pipe forconverters, my object being to provide a coupling adapted to maintain atight joint regardless of variations in the position of theconverterincident to use; and to this end the invention consists of thefeatures,arrangements, and combinations hereinafter described andclaimed, all of which will be fully understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a copper converterequipped with my improved coupling, which is shown in the open position.Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken through the stand-pipe and coupling,the latter being shown in the closed position. Fig. 3 is a View taken atright angles to Fig. 1, showing the slidesvalve andcasing in section.Fig. 4 is a detail view of the universal coupling.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate a copper converter and 6 the mouth or outerextremity of the conduit connected with the converter and through whichthe air-blast is introduced thereto. The converter is mounted on wheels7 and 8 and arranged to turn on a horizontal axis passing through thecenter of the mouth 6 where the air-blast is delivered. The ordinarycoupling employed in connecting the blast-pipe with the converter isdeficient by reason of the fact that if the position of the convertervaries even in a slight degree there will be a binding tendency at thejoint and of the parts.

a consequent destructive wear (No model.)

Owing to the heated condition of the converter incident to the treatmentof successive charges of molten metal the operating mechanism frequentlybecomes somewhat disarranged, whereby the axis of the converter istilted or thrown out of the true horizontal line. My improvedcoupling isintended to compensate for any changes of position of the characterindicated and whereby any binding or unusual wear at the coupling isavoided and a perfectly-tight joint maintained. This function isaccomplished by the employment of a universal coupling 9 and suitablemechanism for use in connection therewith, all of which will now be setforth in detail. This coupling 9 is hollow to allow the air-blast topassinto the converter by way of the mouth 6, and its extremities areball-shaped or constitute spherical segments, as shown at 9 and 9. Theextremity 9 of this coupling when the latter is in the closed positionfits a counterpart socket 6, formed in the mouth 6, (see Fig. 2,) whileits opposite extremity fits a correspondingly'shaped socket 10 formed ina piston 10, slidable in a cylindrical chamber consisting of a shortbranch pipe 12, connected with the main stand-pipe 17. The piston isprovided with a cup-leather or suitable packing 14, secured by boltspassing through an interior annular flange of the piston. Thiscup-leather forms a tight joint between the piston and the interior wallof its chamber. The'piston is provided with a central hub 10, connectedwith its body part by spider-arms 10 The coupling extremity adjacent thepiston is provided with spider-arms 9 in which is a semi-- sphericalsocket 10 engaged by a ball 15, formed on one extremity of a rod 16,which passes through the hub of the piston, through the stand pipe 17,and out of said pipe through a stuffing-box 18, its outer extremitybeing connected at with a hand-lever 19, fulcrumed on a link 22,connected with a lug on the stand-pipe, as shown at 23. The lever 19 isprovided with a strap 19 on one side, forming a guideway to receive anarm 24, pivotally connected with a lug on the stand-pipe, as shown at25. guide-strap of the lever and threaded therein is a set-screw 26 forlocking the lever on Mounted on thethe guide-arm in any desiredposition-of adjustment.

The rod 16 is provided with a stop collar or shoulder 16*. Between thisstop and the hub 10 of the piston is located a coil-spring 27. When theparts are in the position shown in Fig. 2, this spring is under tensionand holds the piston and couplingtightly seated. The lever 19 isproperly adjusted for this purpose. The ball 15 is loose in its socketand shown free therefrom in Fig. 2, indicating that the piston is heldin operative relation with the coupling by the tension of the spring 27.When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2, it is evident thatthe converter may have a vertical, tilted, or endwise movement withinreasonable limits without interfering in any way with the tight jointconnection between the converter and the blast-pipe and withoutsubjecting the parts to undue wear or strain.

The universal coupling 9 may be completely disengaged from the men th 6of the converterconduit by throwing the lever 19 in the directionindicated by the arrow in Fig. 2,whereby the parts are made to occupythe relative position shown in Fig. 1. This is accomplished through theinstrumentality of the rod 16, whose ball extremity 15 engages thespidersocket 10 and forces the piston .10 into its chamber farenough towithdraw the coupling 9 and completely free or detach it from engagementwith the conduit 6. This is importaut when it becomes necessary toremove one converter for repairs or relining and substitute another inits place.

The air-blast is controlled by a slide-valve whose stem B is connectedwith a lever O, acting at right angles to the lever 19. The lever O isfulcrumed on a link D, connected with slide-valve casing, as shown at E.As there is nothing new about these last-named features, furtherexplanation is not deemed necessary. When the coupling is in the closedposition, as shown in Fig. 2, the air-blast acts on the piston, which isof greater diameter than the coupling, to hold the engaging couplingparts tightly in contact. The coupling extremities and their engagingparts are ground to form perfect contact with each other.

In the use of converters of the class described it is necessary tochange the converter a number of times each dayor at stated intervalsfor repairs or relining. By reason of my improved construction theconverter is very quickly and easilydetached from or connected with theblast-pipe by the manipulation of the lever 19, whereby the coupling 9is moved back and forth at will.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim is- 1. The combinationwith a converter mounted to rotate,and a blast-conduit,ofauniversalcoupling connection between the converter and theblast-conduit, and means connected with the coupling for disconnectingthe latter in line with the axis from the converter by a longitudinalmovement.

2. The combination with a converter mounted to rotate and having anopening in the line of its axis for the introduction of the air-blast,and a blast-pipe, of a ball-joint coupling introduccd between theblast-conduit and the converter, and means connected with said couplingfor shifting it in the direction of its axis whereby it may bedisconnected from the converter.

3. The combination with a converter mounted to rotate and having anopening in line with its axis of rotation, and a blast-pipe, ofacoupling interposed between the converter and the blast-pipe, saidcoupling having balljoint extremities engaging counterpart socketsformed in the connected parts, and means connected with the coupling forshifting the latter sufficiently to disconnect it from the converter.

4. The combination with aconvertermounted to rotate and having anopening for the in trod notion of the air-blast, said opening being ofrotation, and a blastcoupling interposed between the blast-pipe and theconverter, and a piston located in a portion of the blast-pipe andyieldingly connected with the coupling,

pipe, of a universal the said piston being hollow to permit the passageof the blast, but forming a tight joint exteriorly with its chamber.

5. The combination with a rotary converter and a blast-pipe, of a hollowuniversal coupling-interposed between the converter and i the blast-pipeand adapted to engage a counterpart socket in the converter-opening, ahollow piston located in a portion of the blastpipe and having acounterpart socket engaged by the adjacent extremity of the coupling,and a manipulating-rod connecting the piston and coupling, substantiallyas described.

6. The combination with a converter and a blast-pipe, of a hollowcoupling having ball extremities one of which engages a counterpartopening formed in the mouth of the converter-conduit, a hollow pistonlocated in a chamber connected with the blast-pipe and having a centralhub suitably connected with its body portion, a manipulating-rod looselyconnected with the coupling at one extremity, said rod being providedwith a stop, and acoilspring surrounding the rod and interposed betweenthis stop and the hub of the piston, and means for operating the rodwhereby the coupling and piston are given a positive move ment in onedirection, and a spring-pressure movement in the opposite direction.

7. The combination with a converter mount ed to rotate and having anopening in the line of its axis for the introduction of the air-blast,of a coupling having one extremity engaging the walls of said opening,the engaging parts being shaped to form a ball-and-socket joint, ablast-pipe provided with a piston-chamber, a hollow piston located insaid chamber and forming a ball-and-socket joint with the other IIOextremity of the coupling,a yielding connection between the piston andthe coupling, and means for detaching the coupling from theconverter-conduit.

8. The combination with a converter having an opening to receive theair-blast, and a blast-pipe, of a hollow coupling having ballshaped endsone of which engages a counterpart socket formed in the blast-month ofthe converter, a chamber connected with the blast-pipe, a piston in saidchamber, said piston having a socket fitting the other extremity of thecoupling, the piston being movable in its chamber, the air-blast actingto hold the piston tightly against the coupling, arod loosely connectedwith the extremity of the coupling adjacent the converter and passingthrough a hub of the piston, a stop on said rod, a coil-springsurrounding the rod and interposed between the said piston-hub and thestop, and a lever connected with the outer extremity of the rod formanipulating the lat- 1 ter, substantially as described.

9. A conduit for the passage of fluid comprising two parts, and aninterposed hollow coupling forming a ball-and-socket joint with one ofthe parts, a hollow piston located in the other part and having a socketfitting the other ball extremity of the coupling, a rod connecting thecoupling and the piston to give the two parts a positive movement in onedirection, and a spring interposed between the piston and a stop on therod for actuating the parts and holding them in operative relation whenthe rod is moved in the opposite direction.

10. The combination with a converter or similar structure mounted torotate and having an opening in line with its troduction of fluid, and aconduit for supplyaxis for the ining the fluid, of a coupling havingball-joint extremities one of which engages a counterpart socket formedin the wall of the converter-openin g, a hollow piston located in thechamber forming a part of the fluid-supply conduit, said piston having asocket in which the other ball extremity of the coupling fits, thepiston being actuated by the fluid-pressure to hold it tightly againstthe coupling.

11. The combination with a converter or other similar structure mountedto rotate, and a conduit for introducing fluid at the axial center ofthe converter, of a coupling interposed in the conduit and havingballjoint extremities engaging counterpart sockets, and a hollow pistonslidable in one part of the conduit and having a socket fitting oneextremity of the coupling, the surface of the piston exposed to theforward action of the fluid being greater than that exposed to the backpressure.

In testimony whereof I-affix my signature in presence of two witnessesTHERON H. TRACY.

Witnesses:

A. G. EBERT, DENA NELSON.

